What happened
While performing an approach to Johannesburg-Jan Smuts Airport, a twin-engine aircraft underwent a catastrophic in-flight explosion. The structural integrity of the plane was compromised, causing the airframe to break into two distinct sections. Following the breakup, the wreckage descended into an industrial zone situated in Germiston, approximately 13 kilometers southwest of the airport.
Emergency responders and investigators located the main debris field and discovered the cockpit separated from the primary wreckage by roughly 250 meters. The accident resulted in 17 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the destruction of the aircraft concluded that the breakup was triggered by an internal explosion. It was determined that the event was caused by the detonation of a bomb placed on board the aircraft. The device, which contained a mixture of ammonium nitrate and nitroglycerin, had been brought onto the plane at Phalaborwa Airport by a passenger.